Extension-table.



I MMM T. M. MOKEE.

EXTENSION TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

' l; INVENTOR.-

T. M. MGKBE. y EXTENSION TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1910.

ATTORNEY.

45 transverse sectional view approximately on f UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE. `4

.THOMAS M. MOKEE, OF NEWCASTLE, INDIANA.

EXTENSION-TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar, 25 1913. Application led .Tune 29, 1910. Serial No. 569,446.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. MGKEE,

4 a citizen of the 'United States, residing at Newcastle, in the county of Henry and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Extension-Tables; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which -form 'a part of this specification.

This invention relates to the class of tables that are adapted to be'used in dining rooms or elsewhere and to be extended or contracted to different lengthh asmay be desired or required, the invention having reference more particularly to` features of construction that enable the rtable top to be either extended or contracted equally at opposite sides of the middle thereof.

f The objectyof the invention is to provide improved guides and slides for .extension tables, and to provide an improved-extension table of compact construction, and which will be adapted to operate reliably and smoothly and always be balanced on its legs or pedestal; a further object being to provide an improved extension table that may be constructed with economical use of wood, and whichwill be durable in use.

With the above mentioned and other ob- A jects in view, the invention consists in an longitudinal vertical sectional viewl of the improved table contracted; Fig. 2, a fragmentary side elevation of the mlddle portion ofthe table, shown extended with' the filling boards in use; Fig. 3, a fragmentary of the two guides, partially broken away, for

the table top; Fig. 7, a perspective view of one end portion of the table top inverted;

view showing one of the slides for connecting the top with one of its guides; Fig. 9,

a perspectlve view of one of the guides, partially broken away; Fig. 10, a transverse sectional view of one of the guides; Fig. 11, a top plan of the. table extended and partiallyv broken away; Fig. 12, a vertical section on the line C C in Fig. l1; Fig. 13, a section on the line D D in Fig. 12 inverted; Fig. 14, a fragmentary plan of the appliances for equalizing .and locking the end parts of the table; and Fig. 15, is a section on the line E E in Fig. 14.`

Similarreferenoe characters in the d ifferent gures of the drawings indicate corresponding elements or features ofconstruction referred toherein.

The improved table comprises a center piece 1 and two frame rails 2 and 2', the rails being mounted on' le s 3 and 3' and 4'and 4', respectively. If pre erred, however, the legs may be omitted and the center piece 1 mayy be mounted on a pedestal 4", as will be obvious. A pair of guides are suitably secured on the top of the center piece 1 and also on the tops of the rails 2 and 2', so that the guides, the center piece and the rails comprise portions of the table frame wherebyV the top Vof the table is supported, and the parts thereof connected together. The guides as shown comprise body parts 5 and 5 which may be composed of wood or of any other suitable material, the body parts being covered with metallic casings 6 and 6', respectively; but it should be understood that in somel cases the casings may be omitted and also, if desired, the casings in some cases may be employed alone without having the body parts therein. Each casing has two -base flanges 7 and 7 for securing them to the l wooden frame members `1, 2 and 2'.

The tops of the guides have lon 'tudinal ribs 8 and 8' thereon, respective y; they are slightly' higher than the sidevportions of the guides, each guide having two longitudinal grooves 9 and 9' in the lower portions of the tops at opposite sides of the ribs, there being bearing portions 10 and 10' at the upper marginal portions of the guides. The guides arearranged parallel one to the other and the outer sides of the two guides are designed l to guide one adjustable end partl of the table the inner sides of the guldes are adapted -to uide the otheradjustable end part of the tab e. The outer side of one guide has a of which is a stop shoulder 12 and the inner side of the guide has a groove 13', at one end of which is a stop shoulder 14. The stop shoulders'12 and 12 are at the end of the table having-'the frame rail 2, and the stop shoulders as 14 at the inner -sides of the two guides are at the opposite end of the table having the fra-me rail 2'.

Two top sections 15 and 15 have aprons 16 and 16', respectively, and comprise a table top in its smaller form. The section 15 t has two slides 17 and 17 that are secured to the under side thereof, and are mounted slidingly on the bearing portions of the outer sides of the pair of guides, the slides having anges 18 and 18, respectively, that extend into the grooves that are in the tops of the guides at the outer sides of the ribs 8 and 8. The slides have also right-angled flanges 19 and 19 that engage the vertical sides of the guides, and are provided with horizontal flanges 20and 20 that extend into the side grooves in the outer vertical sides. The anges 2O and 20 have stop shoulders 21 and 21 formed at the inner ends thereof to engage the stopshoulders 12 and 12 for limiting the outward movement of the top section 15. The othertop section 15 is provided with a pair of slides 22 and`22 that are mounted on the inner sides of the pair of guides and are constructed like the guides 17 and 17 but, as will be apparent, are 4transposed in arrangement relatively, and are closer together obviously than the other slides, the slides 22 and 22 having also the stop shoulders, as 21, to engage the stop shoulders, as 14, for limiting the outward movement of the top isection'15.

The top section 15 preferably is provided with a leg 23 that is connected to the under side of the outer end portion thereof by a hinge 24, and when not in use is folded up against the under side y.of the section and held by a spring clasp 25. The opposite section 15 is provided with a leg 23 connected thereto by a hinge 24, and adapted h to be held when not in use by a springclasp 25 that is attached tothe under side of the section. A suitable number of filling boards as 26, 26, are provided, any number` of which may be used to fill the gap between the sections 15 and 15 when it 1s desired to extend the table to enlarge it.

In order that the table 'when extended may becbalanced on its pedestal or. legs, especially when itis preferred to omlt. the legs 23 and 23', the table is provided with a suitable equalizer which preferably embodies the well known lazy-tongs modified in construction and arranged in a novel manner so that when one top section is drawn out the opposite top section also 1s forced out or away from the middle of the frame. The equalizer as shown is `mounted on a board 27 which is suitably secured to the top of the center piece 1 and in some cases has a stand or block. 28 thereon for filling the space not otherwise occupied by the lazy-tongs. A pivot 29' is mounted on the member 28, being thereby supported near to the under side of the table top, and two levers 30 and 31 are crossed and connected at their middle portions to the pivot 29, one end of one lever being pivotally connected to-one end of a lever 32, one end of the other being pivotally connected to one end of a lever 33. The opposite end of the lever 30 is pivotally connected to one end of a lever 34, and the opposite end of the lever 31 is pivotally connected to one end of a lever 35. The levers 32 and 33 are pivotally connected together at their middle portions, and the levers 34 and 35 are pivotally connected together at their middle portions. The opposite endsfofl the levers 32 and 33 are pivotally connected to stiff links 36 and 37, andthe opposite ends of the levers 34 and 35 are pivotally connected to similar links 38 and 39. A lug 40 having a V relatively long pivot 41 is secured to the under side of the top section 15, and the links 36 and 37 are connected to the pivot 41. A similar lug 40 is secured to the section 15 and it has a pivot 41 to which the links 38 and 39 are connected. The equalizer may obviously comprise any suitable number of crossed levers other than those specifically mentioned. IIt is evident that since the equalizer is pivoted to a stationary member intermediatel-y ofits ends, both ends must move relatively to the support and consequently move both top sections simultaneously.

In order to prevent accidental separation of the top sections when closed together, a locking bar 42 is connected between its ends to the pivot 29 and it has recesses 43 and 43 in opposite edges thereof at opposite sldes of the pivot to receive the pivots 41 and 41 when the bar is suitably swung on its pivot, thus not only locking the sections together but also to the stationary support or table frame.

In practical use when the table is closed to its smaller size it will be centrally support-ed as will be seen, and if it be desired to enlarge the table to a small extent only, the sections may be drawn out equally and one or two filling boards inserted on the slides,

and if'the section bedrawn out vsuiciently to require another support than is afforded by its slides and the guides, the legs 23 and 23 if provided are released`.and brought down to vertical position so as to firmly sup' port the overhanging sections; when both sections are drawn out to the fullest extent the filling boards on the .middle portions will be supported by the ribs 8 and 8 of the guides, since the slides of the two sec/ tions will have been drawn out beyond the middle portion of the table frame. In order to extend the table the locking bar 42 is first moved from the pivots 41 and 41 and then either section may be taken hold of and drawn out, the action causing the equalizer to move the other section in the opposite direction, so that neither section can be extended farther thanpthe other, and the table will not be liable to tip over, and the somewhat inconvenient folding legs 23 and 23 can in most cases be dispensed with orneed not be put to use.

= Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, 'isv In an extension table, the combination of a support, a guide member having a at bottom providedl with flanges secured horizontally upon the support, the top of said member having two longitudinal grooves therein, said member having two vertical sides, one side having a longitudinal groove therein extending from 011e end nearly but not entirely to the opposite end of said member, the opposite side having a longitudinal groove therein extending from said opposite end of said member nearly but not entirely to said first `mentioned end of said member, and two slides comprising each a lflat portion movable upon sa1dguide memortion in contact with.

ber and a vertical one of said sides, said fiat portion having a iange extending into one of said top grooves, said vertical portion having a flange thereon that is shorter than the slide and extends into one of said side grooves, as 

